Congressional District

SOUTH BEND -- Congressman Joe Donnelly will hold an open house at 5 p.m. today to introduce constituents to the staff at his South Bend district office and explain what services they can offer. The district office is at 207 West Colfax Avenue. Donnelly will also have district offices in LaPorte, Logansport and Michigan City. Congressional District offices can help constituents with federal agencies, attain academy nominations or apply for federal grant money, among other services.

Congressman Joe Donnelly will hold an open house at 5 P.M. EST today to introduce constituents to the staff at his South Bend District Office and explain what services they can offer. The district office is located at 207 West Colfax Avenue. Donnelly will also have district offices in LaPorte, Logansport and Michigan City. Congressional District offices can help constituents with Federal agencies, attain academy nominations or apply for federal grant money, amongst other services.

DETROIT (AP) -- Five-term U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick exchanged heated words with two Democratic primary rivals in a debate broadcast Sunday. The lawmaker from Detroit faces a serious challenge in the Aug. 5 primary from state Sen. Martha Scott and ex-state Rep. Mary Waters. WDIV-TV taped their debate Friday. Democrat John Kerry received 80 percent of the district's vote in the 2004 presidential election, and the district has been a reliable Democratic stronghold. Waters attacked Kilpatrick over the congresswoman's support for her embattled son, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

NEW YORK (MCT) -- If anyone can relate to embattled Rep. Anthony Weiner, it's the naked man standing in a plaza facing the congressman's Queens office. He may be made of marble, but the statue representing the triumph of virtue over vice shares plenty with Weiner, from a crumbling support base to an uncertain future as locals debate whether he should stay or go. In February, Weiner stood on the behemoth's pedestal and proposed ousting the grubby sculpture, declaring it "offensive from any angle."

The Electoral College never gets a bid to a BCS bowl. Never claims that it, rather than Notre Dame, has the greatest of all fight songs. But when it comes to the polls, the Electoral College is No. 1. Disagree? Just ask President Al Gore. At the polls, everyone who votes for president is really an Electoral College voter. And in 48 of the 50 states, it's winner-take-all: The presidential candidate getting the most votes in a state wins all of that state's electoral votes -- a number equal to the total of House and Senate seats to which that state is entitled.

Indiana has long had a reddish hue to its politics. Over the past eight years, that red has grown ever brighter as a new crop of Republican candidates and elected officials have come to the forefront, demanding better, smaller and more efficient government for their fellow Hoosiers. Call it a new era, or perhaps more appropriately passing the Hoosier torch, but every Republican-held congressional seat will have changed hands since Gov. Mitch Daniels took office come next year. That means the so-called dean of Indiana's Republican House delegation -- the individual with the most seniority -- will be the youngest member, Marlin Stutzman, who was first elected at a 2010 caucus.

I find it mildly amusing that after all the years the Avon Theater has been boarded up, suddenly tile falls to the sidewalk and the library wants it torn down now. Anyone who has lived in South Bend knows that the answer to all problems is "tear it down. " Three-fourths of the central business district buildings have been torn down over the years. Anyone remember Wyman's Department Store, the Granada Theatre, the Colfax Theatre, W.T. Grant Co. and Planter's Peanut Store, on and on?

To assist voters in making their decisions on who should represent them for U.S. Representative from Indiana's 2nd District, The Tribune today is publishing candidates' answers to important questions. Brendan Mullen , a South Bend native who studied at West Point and served with the Army in Iraq, is the Democratic candidate for Indiana's 2nd congressional district. He lives in Granger. Joe Ruiz is the Libertarian candidate running for Indiana's 2nd congressional district.

To assist voters in making their decisions on who should represent them for U.S. Representative from Indiana's 2nd District, The Tribune today is publishing candidates' answers to important questions. Brendan Mullen , a South Bend native who studied at West Point and served with the Army in Iraq, is the Democratic candidate for Indiana's 2nd congressional district. He lives in Granger. Joe Ruiz is the Libertarian candidate running for Indiana's 2nd congressional district.

I find it mildly amusing that after all the years the Avon Theater has been boarded up, suddenly tile falls to the sidewalk and the library wants it torn down now. Anyone who has lived in South Bend knows that the answer to all problems is "tear it down. " Three-fourths of the central business district buildings have been torn down over the years. Anyone remember Wyman's Department Store, the Granada Theatre, the Colfax Theatre, W.T. Grant Co. and Planter's Peanut Store, on and on?

Indiana has long had a reddish hue to its politics. Over the past eight years, that red has grown ever brighter as a new crop of Republican candidates and elected officials have come to the forefront, demanding better, smaller and more efficient government for their fellow Hoosiers. Call it a new era, or perhaps more appropriately passing the Hoosier torch, but every Republican-held congressional seat will have changed hands since Gov. Mitch Daniels took office come next year. That means the so-called dean of Indiana's Republican House delegation -- the individual with the most seniority -- will be the youngest member, Marlin Stutzman, who was first elected at a 2010 caucus.

The Electoral College never gets a bid to a BCS bowl. Never claims that it, rather than Notre Dame, has the greatest of all fight songs. But when it comes to the polls, the Electoral College is No. 1. Disagree? Just ask President Al Gore. At the polls, everyone who votes for president is really an Electoral College voter. And in 48 of the 50 states, it's winner-take-all: The presidential candidate getting the most votes in a state wins all of that state's electoral votes -- a number equal to the total of House and Senate seats to which that state is entitled.

NEW YORK (MCT) -- If anyone can relate to embattled Rep. Anthony Weiner, it's the naked man standing in a plaza facing the congressman's Queens office. He may be made of marble, but the statue representing the triumph of virtue over vice shares plenty with Weiner, from a crumbling support base to an uncertain future as locals debate whether he should stay or go. In February, Weiner stood on the behemoth's pedestal and proposed ousting the grubby sculpture, declaring it "offensive from any angle."

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana's 2nd Congressional District would shed some Democratic areas and pick up more Republicans under a plan unveiled Monday in the General Assembly. State lawmakers are required to redraw district boundaries once every 10 years to reflect population changes recorded in the census. The redistricting process this year will shake up the Indiana House of Representatives and Senate as well, but its earliest impact will likely be at the federal level.

The 2010 election results are less than five months old, but Jackie Walorski is already gearing up for 2012. The Jimtown Republican announced Tuesday that she'll be back on the ballot as a congressional candidate next year. Whether incumbent U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Granger, joins her in a rematch of last year's 2nd District race and how lawmakers in the Indiana General Assembly redraw the district maps with new census data remain to be seen. "I have been humbled by the outpouring of support and encouragement by my friends, volunteers and Hoosiers across our district," Walorski said in her announcement.

Fred Upton Age: 55 Residence: St. Joseph Party: Republican Occupation: Lawmaker Political Experience: U.S. House member representing southwestern Michigan since 1986 Personal: Married to Amey. They're the parents of a son and daughter. What is the biggest issue facing district voters in this election? The No. 1 issue is jobs and the economy. These are tough economic times and Michigan's working families are hurting. In Congress, I have fought to deliver millions of dollars to improve our region -- from widening Interstate 94 and dredging St. Joseph Harbor to ensuring folks have access to broadband -- because improving our infrastructure is vital to boosting our economy.